Tag: Books

You’re worth it.
We all are.

Before beginning to bear down on a project like a freight train doomed to derail horrifically off its tracks, take time out for yourself.
If you don’t, at the end of the day, you’re just exhausted and in recovery mode (i.e. the couch or easy chair) after performing all of your “must do” tasks without first allowing for an activity that you truly enjoy.
Being in school again, I treat homework and project assignments like I used to when I wrote for newspapers. That is, I prioritize assignments based on due dates and times. In order to do that, I write down in a planner when each one is due. I did that with articles, stories and features I needed to write each week when grinding it out as a contributing writer for weekly papers.
It seems a pretty simple and easy way to get things done, but unfortunately it isn’t how a lot of people do it.
We have more tools like digital planners in order to be organized these days. We should be all about picking one or a few ways to be more prepared, and utilize them. Our lives are busier than ever, and being more organized, at least to me, is probably more important than it ever has been in any point in my life.
In addition to proper planning, we must have confidence in ourselves, too. That is, we must know, understand and realize that we WILL accomplish all that we need to in order of priority, and on time.
“It’ll all work out. It always does.”
I take these words to heart.
It is part of the confidence I have in my ability to accomplish what I must.
So, I am able to engage guilt-free in something I enjoy before I set out to complete any given task.
By “feeding me,” I am able to do a better job on my school assignments and projects that will come afterwards.
People speak of balance in one’s life, but it’s very easy to get carried away in either the work extreme, or the play extreme, direction. What I am suggesting is just a more proper order.
That is, feed your mind and body with what it enjoys first, and then go off about doing the not as pleasant things you must do afterwards—proper order in one’s life.
If you are a slave to your job (and who isn’t at one time or another?), long days or nights on it over time can leave you in a weakened state with declining health.

I toiled at night on the computer under the glare of 1950s-style factory fluorescent lighting for more than a decade in an uncomfortable chair. The job paid the bills and this time of year always marked the onset of a particularly brutal four-month stretch known as “Peak” for those in the business (Annual Reports, Notice & Proxy Statements, 10-Qs).
My weekends (when I wasn’t working) were the times I caught up on sleep. I was not ever “feeding myself” although it did seem all I was literally doing was working, sleeping (a little) and eating. I was doing nothing other than trying to survive an open-ended shift of non-stop work—very unhealthy.
It seemed each peak we learned of a co-worker’s passing. Those of us who remained vowed not to let it happen to us. We would take better care of ourselves, take breaks, and ultimately consider doing what is most important: leaving a job altogether that is draining our health and sapping our strength.

Treating yourself better by engaging in at least one activity you love doing (what is it that brings you peace and makes you smile before you can even realize you are?) before you start your daily “to do” list can really make a difference.
You are absolutely worth making this positively impacting change. More easily completing what you must in your busy day and feeling better before, during and afterwards, are yours for the taking.